


The Jewel of Athens

by LoveAbdDaffodils



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Pirate!Percy, Pirates, can neither confirm nor deny any good writing, cross-posted on wattpad? technically? but its like a lot worse? cause i edited it? idk, didn't feel like tagging every character but just assume all the seven are there lol, hmmm, how does one tag?, i started this when i was 13 and never finished so here we are, idk fighting?, it gets better than the start i promise lol, maybe ;), ok listen im still trying to write this i will update at some point i promise, princess!annabeth, well actually, what a time to be in the pjo fandom amirite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24890659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveAbdDaffodils/pseuds/LoveAbdDaffodils
Summary: Annabeth Chase had many names, Your Highness, Princess, and even once Please Don't Kill Me Your Most Beautiful Royal Lady. She thought she had heard it all, until she heard people talking outside of her palace bedroom window,"-the Jewel Of Athens.""Are you sure?""Yes you dolt! Now shut up and do as I say!"Annabeth never thought she would be kidnapped by pirates, and taken out to open sea. And she NEVER thought the captain would be so annoying and idiotic, but she had been wrong twice before already.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! so yeah lol
> 
> I started this in 2015 so it's been years in the making! lol  
> But since the pjo fandom has been revived from the dead (just like the rest of 2020) bc of my main man Rick i decided to try and finish it lol
> 
> It's probably bad, and the writing style will prob change a lot bc I wrote ch1 in 2015 ch2 in 2017 ch3 in 2018 and edited it all in 2020 ahha
> 
> SO yeah! Annabeth is a princess, Percy is a pirate :) whatever could happen with that?? probably nothing interesting.... ;)

_Why, dear gods, does Kaleb have to be so good at his job?_

  
Annebeth groaned inwardly as she heard the all-to-familiar sound of Kaleb Trishami, the kingdom's best guard, clanking down the hallway. Annabeth hated it when it was his shift, because it made it all that harder to sneak out. All the other guards were idiots. She had Piper on her side, and she could be very persuasive. Enough so that she would be able to explain to the guards that Annabeth was napping, or taking a nice, long, relaxing bath. Things that Annabeth definitely does during her free time. But Kaleb was smart enough to realize that Annabeth wasn’t the fragile princess that all the guards seemed to think she was, so none of that would work if he caught her before she made it out.

Annabeth was torn out of her thoughts as a shadow fell upon the floor in front of her. She dove behind one of the many pillars that lined the hall, and sucked in a breath. She didn't dare breathe as a figure stopped right in front of her. Please keep walking, please keep walking… She sighed as she was pulled out from behind the pillar in one solid movement. She looked up to see the stern face of Kaleb. She brushed off his hand, and nonchalantly said,

  
"What seems to be the problem?"

  
Annabeth was pretty certain it wasn't going to work, and she was right. Kaleb raised his eyes to the ceiling as if to say why me. He shook his head and reached forward to hold her arm again, since Annabeth was notoriously stubborn when it came to following directions.

  
“His Majesty wishes you to stay in the castle.”

  
Annabeth knew that once he got a hold of her, he wouldn't let go till she was back in her bedroom, so she took a chance.

  
She gasped and looked in shock at something over Kaleb’s shoulder. She has always been a fairly good actress, so Kaleb was convinced enough to glance behind him. Annabeth took her dagger from its sheath and brought the handle down onto his head. Her secret training lessons seemed to pay off, as Kaleb grunted in pain and staggered back, his armor clinking. Annabeth gathered her skirts and ran down the corridor, her sandals slapping against the marble floor. She made it to the corner before Kaleb recovered enough to yell “I did not train you so you could use it against me!”, and started running after her. Luckily his armor weighed him down enough for Annabeth to stay ahead, and gave her the chance to reach the front gates. She pulled a lever on the side of a wall, and the gates began to open. A couple other guards saw what was happening, and ran after her as well. Annabeth knew she only had a couple seconds, so she raced over and squeezed through the small gap between the gate doors. Reaching out she pulled the opposite lever, and began re-sealing the ornate doors. She had brought a piece of rope with her, and used it now to tie the lever to the gate so that it would take longer for the guards to be able open the gate. 

  
Annabeth ran down the path, pulling pins out her hair as she ran. She veered off the main path and reached her destination; the book shop. It was a little ways before the rest of the town. She snuck in through the side door, and was greeted by the smell of parchment and leather. Shelves and shelves of scrolls and bound books lined the walls, as well as maps covering the ceiling. Sitting at a table inside was her friend Malcolm, who hid her common clothing and allowed her to read as long as she wished to.   
They had met the first time Annabeth ran away, when she was seven years old. She was fed up with her family, especially her father, and sneaked out alone for some thinking time. The friendly bookstore, called The Olive Garden, was filled to the brim with books and people alike. That attracted Annabeth, who entered and immediately spotted a boy slightly older than her, probably around ten. He had introduced himself as Malcolm Ivy, and helped Annabeth find village clothes and a pile of books to help her search for her real mother, which had always been one of her life goals.

  
"Malcolm! How are you? Got any good books lately?" Annabeth called as she flopped on the chair next to Malcolm, her hair rolling down her back as she pulled out the last pin. He laughed at her in greeting, his blonde, curling hair bouncing as he tossed his head back.

  
"I'm fine. We did get one new book from a donator, but not much else," He fixed his eyes on Annabeth, gesturing to the back room where she kept her spare change of clothes. Tossing Malcolm a smile, she walked back and quickly changed into a plain linen dress that fell to her feet, just covering her sandals. She grabbed a piece of fabric and wrapped it around her head, covering her signature curls. Stuffing her dress into a small satchel, she exited the back room, and started sifting through the scrolls and books on the closest shelf. She was hoping to find something interesting, or maybe something about her mother. A commotion started at the front of the store, and Annabeth saw the unmistakable glint of armor. Shoving the book she had in her hand back on the shelf, Annabeth raced to the back of the store, and out the supply door. Running out, she turned and looked for a second at Malcolm's alarmed face shooing her away. Sending him a wave and a smile, Annabeth raced across the small dirt road leading away from the building and into the main square. She hid in the crowd as she glanced at the sky. 

_No time for anything else. I need to get back in time to have some plausible deniability that I never left._

  
Civilians hustled around her, as she looked for a possible escape route. Annabeth decided to head back to the castle along the longer path, as to avoid unnecessary guards. Racing through the shadows, she finally arrived at the servants entrance. Opening the door, Annabeth walked quietly down the hallway, and up the stairs that led to the floor her room was on. Making it to the top undisturbed, she looked both ways and dashed to her white door, opening it and closing it in one swift move. Taking a breath, Annabeth pulled out the dress she was wearing before, and changed into it. Looking around her room for a moment, she found a note on her bed. Annabeth read the note and quickly headed towards her father's study. She pushed through the door, and stood in front of her father.

  
"Father!"

  
King Fredrick Chase barely looked up at her. He sat on a cushioned chair, his salt-and-pepper hair messy from where he obviously ran his fingers through it. He was constantly shuffling through papers, and would sometimes mumble to himself softly when he found something specifically interesting. He never found Annabeth interesting.  
"Hello Annabeth. I see you got my bidding. We have a problem. The neighbouring kingdom and ours are not on the friendliest terms, and it would be best to avoid war if possible. The way to do this is by uniting our kingdoms through marriage. And that is where you come in. You will marry prince Jason and-"

  
"Wait! I cannot marry Jason! That would be awful"

  
Jason Grace was the prince of the neighbouring kingdom, Patras. He and Annabeth became friends through his sister, Thalia, who disappeared three years back. Sure, they were good friends, but a marriage would never work between them!

  
King Frederick didn’t even look up from his work. “Yes you are. You have no choice in the matter. And we are having the engagement party tomorrow. I already got Nancy to find you a suitable dress."

  
Annabeth stood even straighter.

  
“But-!”

  
“No, Annabeth!” The king cut her off, finally looking into her eyes. He never let her argue against his decisions, even when his decisions were bad. Annabeth was about to retaliate again when a knock came at the door. Annabeth clenched her hands in frustration as Frederick called for whoever it was to open the door. It burst open to reveal Annabeth’s favourite servant, Piper. Her choppy hair was falling out of the braid she had half-hazardly thrown it into that morning, falling against her tan skin. Today her eyes looked closer to the blue flower she had tucked behind her left ear, though the day before they had looked something like chocolate.

  
"Your Majesty," She curtsied to the king, head down. "Your Highness," She curtsied to Annabeth, meeting her eyes and smiling. "The dress is ready."

  
The king turned towards Annabeth, already glancing back down at his work. Ignoring her again.

  
"Go try on your dress my soon-to-be-married daughter."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at me! i'm so nice! i posted the 2 chapter right after the first! and not at all bc i'm self conscious about the length of the first chapter (or how badly written it is lol oop-)
> 
> it'll take a little longer for any others to come tho lol  
> and by little longer I mean it could take literally ANY AMOUNT OF TIME HAHA just look at when I posted it on wattpad oop
> 
> I do have ch3 written but I don't want to post it till I have ch4 underway so I have motivation hehe
> 
> Enjoy! percy will be here soon ;) here's a small spoiler/not a spoiler but annabeth thinks he's hot shh don't tell her I said that

"He's just so...ugh!"

  
Annabeth complained, sprawled across her ornate bed while Piper rummaged through the closet. "How could he do this to me? Does he even care anymore? Besides, there are so many options to fix tension between kingdoms. What about trade deals, or sending ambassadors, or literally anything other than marriage!"

  
Piper glanced over at her and sighed. "Your father is just doing what he thinks is best for the kingdom, even if it's not what's best for you at the moment. You'll be okay, you and Jason have a good relationship! Just don’t get too caught up in your new romance to think about me." Annabeth rolled her eyes fondly as Piper winked at her from across the room. Sighing, she swung her feet over the side of the bed and onto the carpeted floors. Her dress glided over-top of the handmade rugs and onto the marble of the balcony, barely touching the ground even as she slouched in frustration. She swung the doors shut behind her as her eyes swept across the light sky and tumbling ocean that her balcony provided.

The only thing to be seen out in the open sea was a speck in the distance - a ship, or a sea creature perhaps. Leaning against the railing, Annabeth watched the speck slowly leave the horizon behind as it inched towards the shore.

  
"Annabeth, you need to try on the dress now." Piper called in a sing-song voice, pulling Annabeth out of her daydreams and into her nightmares. Turning away from the mystery speck, the princess followed her friend into the washing room that resided through an olive coloured door. The basin was filled to the brim with water, hot by the looks of the fogged up mirrors, with oils and scrubs lining the wall. Slipping out of her favourite relaxation dress, with the help of Piper, the young princess stepped into the tub. The heat soothed her nerves, as she felt the worn hands of her maid slowly untangling her mess of hair. Piper chose a bottle, and poured a good amount of whatever resided inside onto Annabeth's head. After thoroughly massaging and rinsing, the young girl added more soaps and perfumes to Annabeth’s hair, and left it clean and soft.

  
"Alright, you're all done."

  
Piper shook the sleeping girl's shoulder. Annabeth startled from her state of unconsciousness, and slowly stood out of the water. After wrapping a towel around her upper body and waist, she exited the room to find the dressmakers setting up a stool and mirror. When the ladies saw the princess, they rushed to close the drapes, and position themselves at the door. The eldest, probably around 40-years-old, stepped forward and introduced herself as Sally. She had greying black hair, and beautiful features, touched with age.

  
"Now Your Highness, would you please put on your undergarments?"

  
Annabeth obliged quickly and, with the help of the other maids, was ready in a matter of moments. She breathed as best she could with the tight corset as Sally led her to the stool, and gestured for her to stand atop it.

  
"Now, your dress."

  
They pulled the dress out of the bag, and even Annabeth, who was desperately trying to hate it, had to admit it was stunning. The ladies helped Sally to carry it over to the awaiting royal, and also helped her to step into the dress. After pulling it up her legs and torso, the dress slid to a stop with the right side sitting on her shoulder. Pins were stuck, and threads were sewn, before Annabeth was finally allowed to turn and look at herself.

  
"Wow," She murmured. "It's beautiful."

  
The ivory dress went to the floor with a small train at the end. The waist was a shimmering sewn-in belt of diamonds about the width of her hand. One of the maids pulled Annabeth's hair atop her head, with a small braid wrapped around the top and sides, to create a headband of sorts. Small diamond earrings, and an intricate bracelet finish her new ensemble.

"Is this the... wedding dress?" Annabeth questioned. While the dress was beautiful, she couldn’t imagine wearing it to marry Jason Grace of all people.

  
"No," Sally replied, smiling softly at Annabeth. "It's for tomorrow, the engagement ball. Now, let’s take it off her ladies."

  
Annabeth stood with a frustrated expression placed on her usually calm face as the ladies took the dress off her as quickly as they put it on. After the fitting, she returned to her plain dress and walked out of the room with Piper following behind. She quickly entered her father's office and stood right in front of the desk. The king glanced up with an startled expression clear on his face.

  
"Father, I would like to go out into town."

  
The king's features hardened further as he shuffled through his pages, successfully annoying his daughter further.

  
"Absolutely not. Don’t think I didn’t learn of your escapades earlier today. You have been forbidden to leave the castle unless otherwise allowed by me."

  
Annabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes to the ceiling. Of course Kaleb told him. Can’t trust any guards these days.

  
"But Father, the people will want to see me before I am engaged and sent away to live in another kingdom. It will appease their curiosity for a bit, and allow a calm entrance for all the guests who are arriving."

  
The king looked at his daughter for a minute. Then two. Then he let a puff of air escape through his nose.

  
"Fine," Annabeth smiled triumphantly. "But, you must take your guards, and your brothers. They haven't been out of the castle in a while."

  
The smile melted off her face as Annabeth glared at her father. "You know the boys are more likely to run off than I am. And they were out just two days ago! Remember, they brought home that wretched cow they stole."

  
"It is final. Now leave before I change my mind."

  
Still glaring, Annabeth exited the office and ordered a passing servant to retrieve her brothers and bring them to the front gate in their outside wear.

  
___________  
| | | | | | | |  
=======  
Annabeth dragged her brothers out of yet another store. First they spilled a large vat of olive oil at the grocer, then they spilled their juices onto the books at the bookstore, and finally, they ran around and let loose all the animals in the pet store. She marched them into a small alley and swung them to face her. 

  
"Listen you two, I've had enough of your bad behaviour. Is this how princes act?"

  
Bobby and Matthew looked at each other. They turned back to Annabeth and nodded. She narrowed her eyes at them. The young boy's eyes widened before they frantically shook their heads. The princess watched them warily before giving their hands to their different caretakers. She turned her sharp gaze to the two maids.

  
"Don't let them out of your sight this time."

  
She quickly walked back out into the streets, her back straight and head held high. People bowed whenever they passed, accustomed to the Royals strolling the streets. Annabeth strode towards the last store on her list, the green house. In it resided her good friend, Katy Gardner - coincidence, she knows- , who helped her father tend to the plants. Katy was also well known for her knowledge of everything and anything happening in Athens, which provided a good reason to visit. The small group entered the glass building, immediately engulfed by the humid air and the smell of earth. After coughing for only a moment, Annabeth left her entourage to delve deeper into the mist. She searched through the haze for a certain brunette, finding her leaning over a table completely covered in plants. 

  
"Katie, there you are!"

  
The young lady startled, and almost dropped the watering can she was holding. She quickly turned, let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Annabeth, and set down the watering can properly this time.

  
"Annabeth! It's been a while! What can I do for you?"

"Well, Katie, I wanted to have a chat, catch up."

  
Katie looked at her for a moment, before nodding her head slowly. "Let's go to the back room, the couch was moved back there. It's better than just standing around."

  
Following the brunette's lead, Annabeth walked into the purple room, quietly closing the door behind her. She sat on the couch, and turned to face Katie. 

  
"Now, Annabeth," She reached under the couch and pulled out a worn journal. "What can I do for you, for real this time?"

  
"I don't have long, but there are a couple small things I would like to know." Katie nodded, and the princess proceeded. "The ball, what do the people know of it? Do they know the reason for it happening, and do they approve?"

  
The flower adorned girl licked her finger and turned the pages a couple times before finding what she was looking for. 

  
"Okay, I have here that the butcher thinks it's so your father can kill the important visitors, and take over their countries,"

  
_Not too far off_ , Annabeth thought bitterly.

  
"But you know how he is, always spreading false rumours. Elianna, the grocer's new employee, thinks that it's a friendly visit between kingdoms to keep peace and continue to stabilize their relationship after the war fifty years prior. She stands to be one of the smarter persons I talked to today. Others talked about rivalry, marketing and selling products, marriage," Annabeth stiffened quickly at the mention, but relaxed her tense muscles to keep her stoic facade up. "Olives, owls, and lastly, and oddly I might say, pirates."

  
Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

  
"I know, odd, but he was quite sure about it. Though," Katy scrunched her face. "He approached me, and I don't know if he even was talking about the ball or something else..."  
After several beats of thoughtful silence, Annabeth stood and dusted off her already pristine dress. She turned to her friend and said,

  
"Thank you, that was very informative. Here, I found this in the shed at the palace." Reaching into her satchel that rested against her hip, the princess pulled out an orange package that contrasted strongly against the pale blue of the bag, and handed it to the gardener. 

  
"Moon Lace! I didn't know you could even find this in Athens, let alone Greece! Thank you so much Annie!" 

  
Her Royal Highness smiled slightly at her friend's enthusiasm, and then turned to the door and walked briskly out. Her dress swirled against her ankles, hiding her sandals, just as the smile on her face hid her frustration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi thx for reading
> 
> comment and kudos or whatever if you want idk lol
> 
> lemme know ur thoughts, where you think the story is heading (so i have ideas oop)
> 
> k bye


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen. Listen. I said I was gonna write more, and I didn't, and that's just how it goes.
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**_________________**

**| | | | | | | | | | | |**

**===========**

Annabeth felt like a commander of a miniature army as she marched herself, her brothers, and their caretakers back to the palace. The kingdom inhabitants bowed respectfully (okay, and maybe slightly from intimidation, but Annabeth wasn't  _ that _ intimidating, right?). The blonde ran ideas through her head on how to kill her brothers without being executed because of it.

_ Maybe I can poison their stupid juices they demand everyday... Would they be able to trace it back to me? Depends where I got the poison from I suppose.... Maybe that creepy fisherman all the servants talk about when they think I am not listening... Would Piper help me? Technically she has to if I tell her to, so... I have an accomplice! I can do this! Wait, what the heck am I thinking?! I should just  _ stab  _ them and get it over with! All I need is a knife and a little bit of - _

"Your Highness?"

Annabeth snarled as she turned to the poor servant who dared to speak to her in her rage. The servant trembled in fear of the princess, her brown eyes misting as she awaited her severe punishment for speaking. Her hands shook with trepidation.

_ She can't be more than fourteen. Okay Annabeth, time to calm down. You're not going to kill your brothers -  _ yet  _ \- and you're going to be the royal highness you're supposed to be. _

Annabeth took in a breath and exhaled slowly, "What is it?". The servant squeezed her hands together and bowed her head as she spoke, "Your Highness, the princes have demanded to play by the docks. I was told to request your permission for a short detour on the stroll. I am sorry to have disturbed you. We shall return them to their rooms in the palace."

_ Seriously? These dim-wits. If they want to play by the dock so be it, but if they get soaked it is  _ so  _ not my fault.  _

"Fine, but make sure everyone watches them closely. They're sneaky. And if they ruin their new clothes because of it, it is no one's fault but their own."

The servant girl shakily curtsied and hustled back to the group of servants surrounding the two tiny, albeit finely dressed and cute, disasters. Annabeth watched as she relayed the information back to the group and ushered the princes along the rocky path. The princess glanced at the town behind her, and the two servants under her immediate jurisdiction, and followed the large group. The docks were always Annabeth's favourite place to go as a child, so she understood her brothers wanting to go as well. The water was almost magical, and so very clear that once Annabeth swore she saw a person waving from the depths. The few trees along the way blew in the growing sea-side breeze, and the scent of salt water grew stronger as they slowly walked downwards. Soon the group stepped on to the hard wooden flooring the docks were known for and began to explore. The princes immediately went to the waters edge - much to the worry of their caretakers - and peered into the teal waters that gently brushed their toes.

Annabeth enjoyed watching the ships and crew more. The ships were beautifully crafted, and some drew the eye of the aspiring architect. Of course, Annabeth could never be an architect even if she wanted to, for she was female and the Crown Princess of Athens. The thought gradually worsened the already bad mood of the princess, until she was glaring at all the ships she thought so beautiful and the men who manned them. Those unlucky enough to meet her eyes were shaken by the sheer rage in the grey depths, and immediately turned away to escape the burning gaze. Some were stricken by her beauty, made all the more lovely in her anger, but others quickly dragged their comrades away, to avoid Her Royal Highness noticing their infatuated stares. Annabeth slowly swept her gaze across the large dock and over to her brothers, who were busy throwing sand at their caretakers in an attempt to distract and escape, and locked onto the arriving ship behind them. 

The ship was beautifully crafted, that was to be sure, with sleek wooden boards arranging arches and patterns. The figurehead was a gorgeous woman with flowing hair that held an olive branch, as if giving it to the world. Athena, the goddess of wisdom and military victory - two things Annabeth excelled at (in her opinion of course, for mortal women are absolutely  _ never  _ good for anything except childbearing and food-making. Obviously.). Worn, white sails fluttered and caught the wind, and even from her distance Annabeth could see the crew shuffling around the deck. Unbeknownst to her, one specific crew member was watching her too. A spyglass was lowered from a sea-green eye, as the wind blew black hair to cover it, a mischievous smirk stretched across the tan face, and the man eagerly called to his crew to pull into the docks - their prize had been spotted.

**____________**

**| | | | | | | | | | | |**

**===========**

It had been a few days since going to town and spotting the beautiful ship, and Annabeth's mood had not improved one bit. She still glared at every servant she passed (except a select few, Annabeth still had some friends after all), and yelled at anyone who dared bring her news she deemed bad. The entire palace staff knew of her moods, and went into "Princess Crisis" mode, in which the only servants to deal with Her Highness were those she actually liked, which limited them down to Piper and Sally. A very low number. But they made due, as they knew if anyone else tried they would either return in tears or not at all. Piper did her best to calm her friend, but Annabeth was beyond calming. No one was certain as to why she was in such a sour attitude, but theories flew about the ball that was taking place the following night. Even Piper and Sally didn't dare ask and face the wrath of an angry princess, and instead tried to piece it together from what little she told them, and from what they could tell it was indeed the upcoming ball that brought Annabeth such a sour mood. Even with that information they were unable to solve the reason the ball was so awful. 

**____________**

**| | | | | | | | | | | |**

**===========**

_ Tap tap tap tap _

It was the day of the ball.

_ Tap tap tap tap _

Annabeth was most certainly, no doubt about it, going to go mad. Her shaped nails drummed against the marble banister she leaned against on her balcony, tapping an unknown rhythm of their own invention. The last time her nerves had been high enough to permit percussion was when she was about to meet her step-mother for the first time,  _ eleven years ago _ . And yet here she was, in all her (supposedly) mature glory, reverted back to a small, frightened six year old.

_ Tap tap tap tap  _

The situation was not even the same! Sure, she was meeting someone, but this was not a woman who she cared to impress, to earn her love and have as a mother (which did not turn out all that well, in Annabeth's opinion). No, this was someone who she loathed having to meet in these circumstances, as fiancées not friends. While she knew that Jason was by-far not the worst person she could be forced into marrying, marrying for love had always been a carefully kept fantasy of hers. As a princess, and heir to the throne of Athens, Annabeth was well aware that there was a high chance of her being pawned off to help the kingdom if needed, but there was barely a reason for the union! There was no imminent war brewing, no great debt or loss of resource - nothing that would permit the marriage. 

_ Unless _ , the annoying part of her brain traitorously prompted,  _ the whole entire kingdom has been enlisted to keep it a secret from you. Or perhaps, there is an imminent danger that your father neglected to not tell you and the entire kingdom. Jason’s kingdom and hers did have a history of conflict, and their king was often greedy and controlling. It was possible that they came to an alliance that they did not share with anyone. But what would be the purpose? _

_ Tap tap tap tap _

_ Or perhaps _ , the other half of Annabeth's brain replied,  _ Father just wishes to torture you for being born. Or he has a mind reading mage or maybe even a demigod who has told him of your plans to kill off you brothers  _ (which were just jokes! Obviously. No  _ real _ planning. Never...)  _ and instead of killing  _ you  _ off, he has decided to send your murderous podex to another country and get you off his hands. _

Annabeth groaned at herself as the tapping suddenly stopped, and she turned to re-enter her room, the hem of her dress brushing the top of her sandals. She knew that she was unable to hide any longer, since the guests had already started to arrive. She had even heard the fanfare to announce the arrival of Jason at the gates to the city less than twenty minutes prior, meaning he was as good as inside the castle for all she knew. The servants had dressed her hours before, and she sat waiting in her outfit and praying to the gods that her father would suddenly change his mind and realize that Annabeth need not be married to her long-time friend since she is a capable leader who is good at politics, strategy, diplomacy, and  _ everything _ .  _ Yeah, like that'll ever happen! Come on Annabeth, suck it up! _

Her Royal Highness wanted to take her precious Celestial Bronze dagger and stab a couple trees until she felt better (which would be never, so she may run out of trees in that time and move onto aggravating people). Of course, she could never prove to her father how mature she is if she decided to go on a murder spree in the towns of her loyal people (it would not be very good for her image). 

But,  _ oh _ , she was very much so not ready to walk into the impeccably decorated ballroom where everyone (including her fiancée, her friend Jason Grace of all people) would be waiting, and watching, and judging, and Annabeth really just  _ can't right now _ . So she turned back around from the door to stand at her balcony again and wait out her miserable fate, only to be surprised by a young man around her age casually sitting atop her railing, cleaning his nails with  _ \- wait that's her dagger _ .

"Excuse me, but  _ what exactly do you think you're doing _ ?!" 

The man glanced up from his work to look her in the eye and, to her complete and utter aggravation, grinned mischievously. The annoying half of Annabeth's brain filed away the image of his gleaming eyes ( _ wow that colour - sea green) _ and the way the wind tousled his black hair ( _ Can you say  _ wow _ anyone?) _ , but the important side took fact that  _ there was a random man on her balcony with her dagger and she should really get the guards _ . As if he knew her thoughts, the man clucked his tongue and casually flicked her dagger to slam into the door beside her face. Annabeth, understandably, blanched.

As Annabeth stiffened from the weapon that  _ literally just flew at her face _ , the young ("handsome"  _ the annoying part of her brain added unhelpfully _ ) man gracefully slipped off her railing to stroll across the balcony. 

"Now that wouldn't be very nice, would it? Goin' off and telling some guards, and foiling my plans." He stopped in front of Annabeth, and after a tension-filled pause, leaned in close. Annabeth’s breath caught as his face drew closer to hers, emotions warring within her. Her cheeks tinted as his eyes explored her face, chest tight, and she once again fell into a glare. She poked him in the chest.

“I’m not for sale! Do you even know-” 

“Oh, on the contrary,” The man cut her off, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his chest. As Annabeth gasped in outrage, moving to get out of his hold (no matter how nice and warm it is), he swept her feet out from under her and walked across the balcony. Annabeth gaped at him as he grinned once more. ”I quite believe you are!” 

And then he threw her off the balcony.

**Author's Note:**

> idk leave a comment or something while I try to actually plan a cohesive plot for this lol  
> if you have any fun ideas for what should happen literally hmu bc I have little to no plan for this :s  
> thanks for reading!


End file.
